Did you ever
wonder what Victorians did to pass the time or if they had time to pass? Did you
know that the answers to questions like these were dramatically changed by the
Industrial Revolution?

Early in the
Victorian Era, everything was made by hand or imported. Wealth was concentrated
around the cities with town and country folks having significantly less. As the
Victorian Era progressed, so did the Industrial Revolution. Advances in
technology and innovative new machines brought about drastic changes in a short period
of time. People born in the mid 1800's would see their homes lit first by
candle light, then whale oil & burning fluid, then natural gas and kerosene,
and finally by electric. They would also see the transition from horse drawn power to steam engines and then to gasoline powered engines. In their lifetime,
the new machines would enable hand made and expensive imported items to be
produced quickly and cheaply. Workers became more productive, and therefore
earned higher wages.People now had free
time, and disposable income. Life was good!

Middle class
people had enough money and time to indulge in pastimes previously only enjoyed
by the wealthy. As we mentioned in last month's issue, the Aesthetic Movement
took hold in the 1870's. People's chosen pastimes reflected this. Everything
needed to be decorated! Painting porcelain and furniture was popular. Fancy
needlework and elaborate trims were created to adorn everything. Black &
white photographs were transformed by color tinting by hand, and scrap booking was all the rage. All of these lost arts are new again. Many people all over the
world are now enjoying these pastimes. You may even be one of them. I am.